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Indications emerged on Saturday that the chief executive officers and other top executives of Deposit Money Banks had begun moves to raise fresh capital to bolster their respective institutions’ capital base in line with the pronouncement of the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Dr Olayemi Cardoso.
Sunday PUNCH gathered from top sources in the banking industry that the top executives might have also commenced preliminary merger and acquisition talks, as some of the big banks are eyeing some weaker ones for possible acquisition, while some middle strength and weak ones are looking for alliances that may result in mergers.
Cardoso had said in Lagos on Friday that the apex bank would be asking the DMBs to increase their capital base in order to service the $1tn economy projected by President Bola Tinubu.
Speaking at the 58th Annual Dinner of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria where he was the special guest of honour, Cardoso said, “In my recent speech at the 370th Bankers’ Committee meeting, I highlighted the economic agenda of the President. The administration has set an ambitious goal of achieving a GDP of $1tn over the next seven years.
“It is not just about its current stability. We need to ask ourselves, can Nigerian banks have sufficient capital relative to the finance system needs in servicing a $1tn economy in the near future, in my opinion, the answer is no, unless we take action. As a first test, the central bank will be directing banks to increase their capital.
“Therefore, we must make difficult decisions regarding capital adequacy. As the first step, the CBN will be directing banks to increase their capital.”
He added, “The removal of petrol subsidy and the adoption of a floating exchange rate and other government policies are anticipated to have a positive effect on the economy in the medium term.
“These measures are expected to enhance investors’ confidence, attract capital inflow, stimulate domestic investors and ultimately improve the level of external reserves. Additionally, they are expected to contribute to the stability of the local economy.
“Despite the challenging global and local economic environment, Nigeria’s financial sector has demonstrated resilience in 2023 with key indications of financial soundness largely meeting regulatory benchmarks.
“Stress test conducted on the banking industry also indicates its strength under mild to moderate scenario on sustained economic and financial stress. Although there is room for further strengthening and enhancing resilience to shocks. Therefore, there is still much to be done in fortifying the industry for future challenges.”
A bank CEO, who spoke to Sunday PUNCH, welcomed the CBN policy direction regarding the recapitalisation of the banks and said his institution was ready to raise fresh capital though it had yet to conclude the modality.
“Even before the CBN governor made the pronouncement, our bank was already considering raising fresh capital to significantly increase the capital base. This should happen in the first quarter of 2024. So, we are in tune with the CBN governor,” the CEO of a Tier-1 lender told one of our correspondents on Saturday.
In the last few months, First Bank of Nigeria Holdings, Wema Bank and Jaiz Bank have proposed Rights Issues, while Fidelity Bank announced plans to raise additional capital via the issuance of 13,200 billion ordinary shares via public offer and rights issue.
An executive director in a bank with regional presence told Sunday PUNCH on condition of anonymity that the announcement by Cardoso did not come as a surprise, but said the current state of the economy might make raising adequate capital a bit of a challenge, adding that his institution was planning to talk to others for possible merger.
When asked when the talks would begin, the executive director said preliminary discussions would begin this week, but such would be accelerated when the CBN releases the guidelines for the new capital base and how much would be considered as adequate.
Another top bank executive told one of our correspondents that lenders had been exploring merger talks on the periphery before now, but that would be escalated now and that the banks might look more towards institutional investors rather than raise money through public listing due to the current economic situation in the country.
The President, Association of Corporate and Marketing Communications Professionals in Banks, Rasheed Bolarinwa, advised members of the public to wait for the formal unveiling of the recapitalisation plan so as to know the detail.
He told Sunday PUNCH, “Why don’t you wait until this get actualised? Let us wait for a formal announcement with clear guidelines; until then, why not hold your breath.”
On insinuations that a fresh capital raise might shrink the industry, he said, “This observation may happen or not depending on how investors react when the banks go to the market. What is not in contention is that going by the performance of bank stocks on the Nigerian bourse, investors will be receptive to the banks if they approach the market to recapitalise.
“If you look at the capitalise base of some banks, are they not already overcapitalised? And what if those who choose to approach the market perform creditably due to investor confidence in bank stocks?
“The regulator is well resourced and knows what it needs to do at any point in time in managing Nigeria’s banking sector, including the recapitalisation process, which was mulled yesterday (Friday) in Lagos.”
Experts advise banks
The Chief Executive Officer, Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise, Dr Muda Yusuf, welcome the move to increase banks’ capital base, adding that the current capital base was grossly inadequate.
He said, “The minimum capital requirements of the banking industry need to be reviewed in the light of the considerable loss of value amid depreciating domestic currency. During the banking consolidation of 2004, the minimum capital requirement for banks was raised from N2bn to N25bn. The revised capital requirement was an equivalent of $187m. Today, the same N25bn is an equivalent of just $32.5m.
“This is a clear indication of the phenomenal erosion of the capital base of the banks. Recapitalisation of the banks has therefore become imperative. It is important to ensure that the capital base of banks can support their current exposures in the interest of the stability of the financial system.”
A professor of Capital Market at the Nasarawa State University, Uche Uwaleke, urged the CBN not to coerce banks into increasing their capital base as was the case during the last recapitalisation drive; rather, they should be incentivised.
“The idea of recapitalisation of banks is a welcome one. It goes without saying that capital is needed to finance big-ticket projects, especially when the government is targeting a $1tn economy in a few years’ time. But I think the strategy should be somewhat different from the approach adopted in 2005. It should be more about incentives than coercion,” he said.
He said, “Some DMBs (especially many in the FUGAZ category) are already making efforts to increase their capital base. The CBN can use prudential guidelines to strengthen the present tiered arrangements. The use of the CAR (the ratio of a bank’s capital to risk weighted assets) is a good example.
“The apex bank can also use differential cash reserve requirements as well as preferential participation in the forex market for well-capitalised banks as some of the incentives. For whatever it is worth, smaller banks playing at the regional level should not be regulated out of existence.”
Echoing Uwaleke’s stance, an economist and former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Uyo, Prof Akpan Ekpo, warned that the planned move might lead to mergers and acquisitions, creating unemployment, economic uncertainty and discouraging investors.
Rather, Ekpo said the banks should be incentivised to stay vibrant, adding, “Well, the central bank has to be careful because you don’t force banks to recapitalise. The last time this happened, there was a serious problem. You will have to give them incentives for those who will want to go through that process, but never should the apex bank force them to recapitalise.
“Otherwise, it will result in mergers and acquisitions, and that will create unemployment, adding to the already high rate in the country, which will send uncertainty and anxiety into the system. That is not good for the economy. The CBN governor talked about the plan by the current administration to create a $1tn economy, but don’t hound banks to recapitalise; rather, give them incentives.
“The last CBN governor printed so much money through Ways and Means. What they have to do is stick to the rule, which says that the CBN can only give the government five per cent of the previous year’s annual revenue. Once that is adhered to, there will be no issues, but I don’t think it’s a good idea to force banks to recapitalise.”
Another economist, Leo Ukpong, said bank recapitalisation meant raising the capital base through more borrowing or the issue of new equity of banks.
He said, “If additional funds are acquired from borrowing more debt, the debt level of the company will rise compared to equity. This could raise the default riskiness of such banks. If it’s done through the issuance of new stocks to investors, this will raise the equity ratio of the bank and spread future profit or loss among more investors. In other words, raising additional capital through new equity could reduce the default risk of banks.”
Listing the advantages of such a move, the financial economist stated that a raise in capital would imply more available funds for loans and private investments.
He explained, “More loans could be made to the private sector investors and the public sector for national infrastructural development, and for household consumer loans. It will help spread the lending or default risks among several investors and risks diversification.
“Also, it could be more of a window dressing to give the investors the impression that the bank is now larger and more stable.”
He, however, added a caveat that “all banks must channel the additional funds raised through recapitalisation to the capital projects and not lend the funds to state and federal governments to be used for buying SUVs for legislators and presidential yachts.”
A former Chief Economist at Zenith Bank Plc, Marcel Okeke, argued that before looking at the banks, the apex bank needed to look inwards at some of its policies, those of the Federal Government and their unintended consequences, which were casting a shadow over the economy.
Okeke said, “All that the CBN governor has said is right and he also acknowledged some of the policies, which will have unintended consequences on the economy. If care is not taken, that will preoccupy them for a long time. As we speak the government is battling with what we call the palliatives. Before the present government came in place, who was talking about palliatives? It shows that something is fundamentally wrong and they are just trying to patch things up.
“The journey to achieve a $1tn economy has not even started. The productive sector is dying. Look at the GDP growth rate for example. The real sector is functioning sub-optimally because of the policies that have been put in place. The CBN governor also mentioned the level of insecurity in the land. Has that been tackled? Handling insecurity is a precondition for other sectors to thrive in Nigeria. He also mentioned agriculture. Many of the farmlands are left desolate because of insecurity and other social ills. These things are tied together. It’s not just talking about the $1tn economy. The question is, how do you get there?”
Okeke also raised concerns as to how the economy would be able to support a recapitalisation drive.
He said, “On recapitalisation, banks are supposed to be sources of funding for activities or projects that will drive that $1tn economy. If the banks are financially strong, they will drive and contribute seriously to it. You can also imagine when all the banks are trying to meet capital in today’s economy.
“He (Cardoso) didn’t mention a timeline or set any deadline, so the race has started. I don’t know where the market will go with it. The economy has a trust deficit already. There are question marks all over the place. The CBN should be encouraging export and it has to be policy-driven.”
A professor of Development Economics, Abayomi Adebayo, faulted the recapitalisation plan, saying Cardoso should rather be worried about the foreign exchange market and concentrate more on how to facilitate productivity in the economy.
He further advised the CBN governor to engage intelligent people in the country on how to develop productivity, and an active financing of the economy, adding that entrepreneurship should be encouraged in order to solve the petrol problem by building internal refineries to tackle the crisis.
Adebayo stated, “I don’t know what he wants to achieve with that. Is it that the banks are distressed now? Where is he going to get the capital from? Is it the people who are still struggling to eat that will put money in the account now? What was our experience with the shares that we bought? All of us see it as not better than ordinary paper because of the amount that each clocked for that share and what they command in the market today. Who is the right-thinking person in this economy who will think of buying shares that cannot be guaranteed how it will turn out in the future buy what we have experienced before?
“Every step in economics has assumptions around it, but to me as a person, I feel he should bother about facilitating real sector productivity. Motivating and cultivating how the refined rate will wipe off the importation of refined fuel in Nigeria. These are issues that could remove pressure on dollars and others rather than looking for paper function on the table. You know there were some people speculating about redenomination. If you remove two zeros, is it the one that will produce in the economy? Is it decimalisation causing the naira to be falling? Is it the psychological feeling that the naira is big that you want?
“I thank God we have a government that is listening so that as we are bringing ideas; they are not the government that will just close their eyes and mind. That is why we should begin to think together because we are running an economy that is very complex and challenging so all of us must think to find direction to make sure things work.’
The don added, “I don’t know how successful that recapitalisation will be. If people who have stolen money think they can go and buy banks and begin to be proud that they are the owner of a particular bank now. I’m talking about over 80 per cent of salary earners who will say they want to buy shares when they haven’t eaten in their house and when fuelling their cars to work is very difficult.”
A professor of Economics at the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Sheriffdeen Tella, stated that a positive result would be achieved for the economy if the CBN governor could match words with actions.
Tella said, “What he has presented are the right things to do if he backs it up with action, the desired result will be achieved. The central bank under Emefiele engaged in rigid banking like giving loans and others. It is not the duty of the central bank. The banks created for that purpose are the Bank of Industry, Bank of Agriculture, and others. The central bank should have channelled the money through those banks and monitored them. The CBN under Emefiele gave out such loans and made noise on the difficulty of recovering the loans. In the first instance, it is not their duty to issue such loans.
On recapitalisation, he said, “There is a need to recapitalise and the CBN governor has said because inflation and depreciation have affected the initial capitalisation, there is a need to recapitalise and revalue to make them stronger and be able to compete globally.
“It depends on how the recapitalisation will be and how big the banks are, but some banks will still have to merge and others take over. Some others can absorb those that don’t have the opportunity of merger. Also, the central bank may carry the process out in such a way that all of them may not have the same capitalisation.”
A professor of Economics at the University of Uyo, Edet Akpakpan called on the CBN governor to do whatever was necessary to alleviate the sufferings of Nigerians.
He said, “I am sorry, I have not seen much seriousness in what he has said. He needs to show us the plan of what he wants to do and how he wants to go about it. It is not enough to roll out policy. I am happy he mentioned that he is working with the minister of finance and coordinating minister of the economy. They should both get solid economic teams in place and work together to set the economy in place to alleviate the suffering of common Nigerians.”
[Punch]
Raising kids in the 21st century can be a herculean task, especially in making sure they perform excellently in their schoolwork. Some subjects, for them, might not be as easy as others.
An Imo State-based father-of-four, Mr Oluwatomisin Ajao, said he had to put in the extra job for his four kids to make sure that they perform well in their academic pursuits.
Ajao’s first child, Tobi, according to him, was good at mathematics but performed poorly in English Language, Literature and other art-related subjects.
“Since he was still in primary school where there was no way for him to make choices about his career, we knew we needed to help him with those subjects that were difficult for him.
“His problem, we found out, was that the words were just too much and he was already too used to figures. So, it stressed him to comprehend all of them at a go.
“So, we reduced his pace to one page at a time and increased it as he improved,” he said.
This was not the same for the other three children Ajao had. He said they were all bad at mathematics at first, and his first child could not understand how something as simple as math was hard for his siblings.
Now, Tobi, who was done with secondary school, devoted extra time to coaching his siblings in mathematics but it was not done at their pace.
“We knew some adjustments needed to be made so we involved other measures. These things are not as easy as they come. But, every child is unique and needs special treatment especially as regards their academia,” Ajao added.
Here are five ways parents can help their kids improve in their academics.
Be attentive!
Most parents are often too busy to even notice that their children are struggling with a topic, an entire subject or with a teacher.
A Lagos-based educationist and International Admissions Officer of The 16 Plus School, Mr Aniedi Akpan, said parents must take their children’s educational pursuits as part of their own lives so that they can follow the kids up to become better persons.
“Parents need to be attentive when the kids do their homework. They have to see what they spend more time doing and why they sleep off when they begin another subject. Staying with them and asking them questions is one step to identifying that the child is having difficulty in a particular subject or set of subjects,” Akpan said.
Another educationist based in Rivers State, Mrs Sowanari Jumbo, said although there are children who are specially gifted and behave as though they have it all together, parents must be part of the educational journeys of their children.
“When parents pay attention to their children’s educational needs, it makes the job easy for the teacher. This is because the parents are the first teachers any child interfaces with before they get to formal schools,” she noted.
Listen to feelings, give space for feedback
When it comes to listening to their feelings, parents must learn to ask the right questions so that their children do not feel they are becoming a burden to them.
For instance, Mrs Mabel Tuotamuno, said her second child, Tombra, who struggled with mathematics, refused to tell her she had issues or was facing challenges.
“She would do her English Language assignment when I am there and sneak her mathematics notebook to her room to struggle with it. One day, I noticed and went to her room to ask her and she opened up that she was having some issues understanding some topics in mathematics,” she said.
Jumbo said listening to the feelings and nonverbal cues of a child gives the parents a clue into what may be going on in the child’s head and ways to help.
For Akpan, listening to the kid’s feelings is only validated when they are given avenues to speak up and share their problems.
“This is why that enabling environment must be there. Do they like the school? Do they like the teacher? Is the class friendly enough? Are they being bullied? Is the pace of the class, teacher, or school too fast for them? All these questions if well asked would be the next steps to helping that child become better in their academia,” he said.
Give additional homework
After school, most children get home and do nothing academic all through the rest of the day. Experts have stated that when a child continuously focuses on what they learn at school after school, they become better.
Who better to drive this than the parents who should be at home to see how the process works?
Speaking on this, Akpan said one of the best ways to help children conquer their fears over a subject is to encourage them to keep working at it and practising even after they have left the formal class.
“It is like doing your bodily exercises, sharpening your knives and other war tools before a battle. When the day of the battle eventually comes, you are better prepared,” he added.
Jumbo noted that a chat with the teacher to give the child extra work would be a good way to start.
“The goal is to get your kids to sit down to practice some exercises and work out the techniques while you join them. This would help them to gain more confidence and become stronger in that particular subject area. Revision books, sticky note packs, and notecards are some tools that can help.
“The child could even colour code their learning and create a series of images to help them become familiar with the subject,” she said.
Ask the class teacher for support
Every child’s improvement should be a parent’s concern, and if it means paying extra to the class teacher or school for extra lessons, then that would not be too much to give.
Akpan said some kids may need that extra coaching, adding that different schools run different coaching models even for children with special needs.
“Approach the school and ask questions to know how it works, and enrol your child. It could be a personal lesson (i.e. on a one-on-one basis) or on a class basis with members of his class. Again, asking the child for their schedule and pace is important,” she said.
Jumbo said extra lessons can come at higher costs, but noted that when children see their parents taking the extra steps to help them improve, it pushes them to want to do better in order to make their parents proud.
Keep the door open
When the child begins to improve – if they do – make sure the door of conversation is open.
Jumbo said that sometimes, even after taking all the steps above some children seem not to have improved. She advised parents to, at that point, seek the help of developmental educationists and psychologists to help them.
According to her, the situation may just not be academic alone; it may also need psychological help.
Akpan, on his part, added that no child should be written off for whatever reason.
“Some children take more time before they are able to learn. Give them the time. Don’t rush them. They would eventually become better. If they are not good at math, maybe they are just not cut out for that. Look for alternative ways to make them move to more inclusive settings where they can focus on what they are good at.
“Also, some may just not be cut out for school at all. It is that consciousness to see and identify what they are good at before it may become too late. It could be computers, tech, music, painting, or anything else. It is your job as a parent to find this out and walk the journey with them,” he added.
[Punch]
Sheila Courage, the estranged wife of Israel DMW has replied to allegations of what went wrong in the marriage.
Sheila alleged that her husband abused her physically and emotionally, adding that he also sent some thugs to harass her mother
In a series of post on her Instagram story, she wrote: “Now to all of you that are being madddd In my dms just get lost and stay away from what you know nothing about! Gullible clowns
“IF ANYTHING HAPPENS TO ME OR ANY MEMBER OF MY FAMILY @ISREALDMW SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE!!!
GOING TO MY MUMS SHOP TO BEAT HER UP??
“This man carried boys to harrass my mum at her shop!!!
“I’m not here to run y’all a whole story of what went down, and what has been going on!
“The only thing @isrealdmw can brag about and still brags about is the online publicity he has given me that is undisputed.
“Alot of you only got to know me during the wedding.
“Did anybody deceive Isreal? NO
“INSTEAD ITS THIS MAN THAT DECEIVED THE WHOLE FAMILY!! Especially my father who took a genuine likeness to him!!!!
“Everything Isreal ever did he was never asked or coerced! He just always thinks doing all this little things would cover up his demonic.
“You can drag me to the mud and back make I for lock up but you don’t get to do that with my family!!! YOU DONT!! Clearly you don’t value yours.
“When you’re accused of taking pills to not get pregnant! When you’re deprived of doing anything!
“When you marry a man that gives no account of how the money realized from your wedding was spent! Or how much e be at all at all or o see wetin I use am do!
“Lastly, I NEVER HAD AN ISSUE WITH HIM SERVING HIS BOSS.
“I just wanted him to have something going on for himself which his family fully supports as it’s a concern to everyone.”
Liatou Habila, a 26-year-old Nigerian refugee in Cameroon, has a broad smile after shaking hands with Emtithal “Emi” Mahmoud.
“I am surprised that she came to see us,” Habila says of the Sudanese-American poet and goodwill ambassador for the United Nations refugee agency UNHCR.
“She is so humble and so nice and everybody likes her,” Habila tells RFI.
The two women met at the Minawao refugee camp in Cameroon’s Far North region, which Mahmoud recently visited.
The activist, who fled Darfur as a toddler and then grew up in the United States, was in the region to speak to displaced people ahead of the Cop28 climate summit, which starts on 30 November.
She says she will be at the talks in Dubai “to lift the voices of refugees” – who have long been left out of discussions on climate change, but increasingly find themselves on its frontlines.
Climate displacement
“You see other refugee situations where climate disasters did lead to displacement, because 70 percent of refugees actually come from climate-vulnerable settings, in different countries including Afghanistan, the DRC, Yemen and Syria,” Mahmoud says.
“But from my context specifically, I have experienced that kind of environmental loss at many different levels and many different climates, both in the States and in Sudan and many different areas.”
In Cameroon, the Far North region hosts thousands of displaced people, some from Nigeria and others forced to flee from within the country. Some have fled extreme weather events or conflicts over land and resources aggravated by climate change.
But they can’t escape climate pressures at the Minawao refugee camp.
Drought, deforestation
The camp spans some 623 hectares, with temperatures sometimes reaching as high as 40 degrees Celsius. The area has seen regular droughts in recent years, much like many other regions of the Sahel, the semi-arid scrubland that borders the Sahara desert.
This has been made worse in Minawao by the loss of trees, which both refugees and the local population depend on for firewood.
According to the Centre for International Forestry Research, an estimated 80 percent of Cameroonians rely on wood for all their household energy. It estimates that 2.2 million metric tonnes of firewood is burned annually throughout the nation. And with electricity in short supply and domestic gas practically unavailable in remote places like Minawao, firewood is the camp’s primary source of fuel.
The rising demand for firewood is adding to the pressure on Cameroon’s forests, which are already threatened by logging, farming, mining and construction.
Even as refugees like Habila go further afield in search of firewood, they face the prospect of sexual violence.
“They are sexually abused. They are raped almost every day they step out to look for wood,” said Luka Isaac, a spokesperson for Nigerian refugees at Minawao.
The refugees therefore initiated a tree-planting campaign – not only to help provide fuel, but also to provide shade from the searing Sahelian heat.
Over 50,000 new trees
“We started with just 500 trees,” Luka tells RFI. “With the help of the Cameroon government, the UNHCR and other aid agencies, we are now on more than 50,000 trees.”
Mahmoud sits in the shade of a neem tree taking in the breeze.
“I think what’s so brilliant about the climate solutions here are that they weren’t just offered or led by refugees, they were created by refugees from the outset,” she tells RFI.
She says she performs her spoken-word poetry because she believes that “if one person hears it and it makes a difference in their lives, if it shifts their perspective about a refugee or a vulnerable person or it makes them see us as more human, if it just makes one person listen a little bit better or see the humanity a little bit more, that makes a huge difference for me”.
The same mission will take her to Cop28, where she hopes to ensure that refugees’ long-ignored voices are heard.
[rfi]
As part of effort to strengthen Civil Society Organizations’ (CSO) voices on climate justice in Nigeria, the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) has partnered Ford Foundation to provided funding support for members of the Nigeria Climate Justice Alliance (NCJA).
The Director-General, NCF, Dr. Joseph Onoja, said in a statement that seven members of the Alliance have been selected and will be participating at the upcoming 28th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) taking place in Dubai UAE between Nov. 30 to Dec. 12, 2023.
Onoja recalled that the Nigeria Climate Justice Alliance was launched in Abuja in July 2023, with the objective to strengthen and raise CSOs’ voices on climate justice in Nigeria through delivering climate actions that benefits the most vulnerable groups in a just and equitable manner.
He said that members of this Alliance would have the opportunity of a lifetime to meet with world leaders and delegates from around 192 countries who are parties to the Convention and hundreds of observation organizations and international governmental organizations.
According to him, COP28 will create an opportunity for their local voices to be heard at a global stage in Dubai where leaders can be held accountable for their national commitment and ask for more ambitious climate commitment.
The D-G said that NCF as the secretariat of the NCJA would coordinate, mobilize, support, and provide guidance for these members throughout their participation in the conference.
He explained that NCJA members woudl also attend side events, bilateral meetings, mentorship forum while championing climate justice campaigns and ensuring that nature is prioritized in the climate negotiations.
” For some of the beneficiaries, it will be their first COP experience and they are excited to be selected for this life-changing experience.
“This year COP28 will deliver the final global stock taking (GST) after the Paris Agreement was reached in 2015 to assess the impact of the worlds’ climate actions.
“This will provide the opportunity to track how the world is keeping the global average temperatures within limit of 1.5oC and call on world leaders to ramp up ambitious commitment.
Participants are also eager to see the finalization of the development of the framework the Loss and Damage Fund established in Sham El-Sheikh,” Onoja said.
He added that as the world anticipates a greater COP28 outcome, it is expected that climate negotiators will adopt multilateralism, unite, and act for a better planet.
[NewsDairy]
Aare Tunde Debayo Doherty, executive director, 27th Development has explained why the issuance of Certificate of Occupancy often referred to as C of O, an official document issued by the government in Nigeria that certifies a person or organisation as the legal owner of a piece of land or property is often been delayed in Nigeria.
Doherty said the delay happens because Nigeria has a very old system of doing things, where people still do transactions with papers.
He further explained that the new innovations the government is trying to bring in has to do with technology but unfortunately, some of these documents have been lost over time.
“At some time, the capital of the Western region used to be in Ibadan. By the time they moved some of these documents to Lagos and they archived them, they were poorly treated. Some of those documents are torn and have lost value,” he said.
He said in the process of processing the C of O, the government officials often discover that the ‘Root of Title,’ (documents showing ownership of property) is often missing and they can’t find it in their archives.
“If there is no Root of Title, you can’t proceed with your registration. Until this is addressed, we will still be having these problems where you can’t even get your documents registered. It is not just delayed, it doesn’t get registered. This can go on for three to four years. Most times, they blame the lawyer but it is not the fault of the lawyer. It is a poor system of storage and facilitation,” executive director of 27th Development said.
Doherty disclosed these while speaking on the topic ‘The Legal Perspective of Real Estate in Lagos,’ at The Associate’s Workshop 1.0 Learn to Earn, a workshop organised by 27th Development, company at the forefront of real estate, investment and technology sectors.
The workshop was held in Lagos to enable people to understand the concept of real estate.
Doherty said the recent demolition going on in Lagos is happening because people failed to do due diligence.
“A lot of developers will buy land and will not do proper documentation. They will allow you to pay for it. They will give you bogus documents and they will make you build on these lands. It is just a matter of time. It is unfortunate but that’s where we find ourselves,” he said.
He said that a lot of people only understand real estate as just buying and selling land.
“That is why we took our time to give people the historical perspective from people who know about land and the legal perspective where we respond to all the questions on how to approach land issues. This is just for us to educate the academy and to bring in fresh ideas and innovations into the industry.
Also speaking at the event, Alexander Olusegun MacGregor, Ola Orile Ilawo and chairman MacGregor Heritage Foundation said the greatest asset God has created on earth is the land and people and God created man to have dominion over the earth.
“God says use the land well and serve Him better. Man is not supposed to be poor,” he added.
MacGregor who spoke on the topic ‘Journey through Lagos’s Rich Real Estate History,’ encouraged participants to acquire the best they can on this earth so that they may leave this earth a better place than you found it.
“Invest in the land and make it better than you saw it. If you go to Dubai today, it is real estate, developments and building. We had oil in Nigeria and didn’t do anything about it. A lot of people made lazy money from oil blocks. Whatever God has given us, we are supposed to use it to develop the future. God gave us land and people. It is time to know what is good for us.
“We are not attracting the best investments because we are not doing the right things.When you invest in land, it is long lasting. It is the people that invest in lands that make a difference,” he added.
[BusinessDay]
Google Hustle Academy has graduated 5,300 Small and Medium Businesses across Africa who participated in the academy training in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and South Africa.
Among the 5,300 beneficiaries across the four African countries, over 2,000 beneficiaries graduated from Nigeria and 15 of them got the N75 million Google’s Hustle Academy SMB fund set aside for the Nigerian market.
Pleased with the Google initiative to train and equip Nigerians and Africans in Information and Communications Technology (ICT), the Director General, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Mr. Charles Odii, promised to engage the over 2,000 Nigerian beneficiaries by licensing them as Business Development Service Providers that would work with SMEDAN to onboard SMBs across Nigeria.
The Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President of Nigeria on Job Creation, Mr. Tola Adekunle-Johnson, also promised to offer direct employment to one of the beneficiaries for a period of one year.
Both gave the promises on Thursday in Abuja, during the graduation ceremony of the over 2,000 Nigerian SMBs that were trained by Google.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony, Country Director for Google West Africa, Mr. Olumide Balogun, said the graduation marked a continuation of the programme’s impact, with over 10,300 entrepreneurs having participated since its inception in 2022.
“The Google Hustle Academy programme, designed to address specific challenges faced by SMBs in Africa, offers practical skills and resources to help these businesses grow. This year’s graduation adds to the momentum gained from last year’s 5,000 graduates, reflecting a growing community of businesses engaged in continuous learning and improvement.
“Alongside the graduation, 15 SMBs have been chosen to receive support from the N75 million Hustle Academy Fund. This initiative aims to provide a combination of financial assistance, mentorship, and business tool access to some of the most promising Nigerian SMBs. The recipients represent various industries from the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria, and demonstrate the creativity of Nigerian entrepreneurs,” Balogun said.
He further said: “The passion and resilience shown by these SMBs are truly inspiring. The Hustle Academy is a testament to what focused training and resources can achieve. We are not just celebrating their graduation today; we are recognizing their potential to reshape and invigorate the Nigerian business landscape.”
Founder of Wauley Projects Limited, Femi Bolaji, from Nigeria, and one of the 15 fund recipients, said: “The Hustle Academy has equipped us with vital business knowledge, and being selected for the fund is a significant boost that will propel our business forward.”
Head, Brand and Reputation at Google, Mojolaoluwa Aderemi-Markinde, said Google would follow up on the 15 Nigerian beneficiaries to ensure that the N75 million SMB fund is well utilised to grow and sustain their businesses.
[ThisDay]
On Friday night, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu waded in and resolved the political crisis in Ondo State.
Naija News reports that Tinubu met with the political stakeholders from Ondo State to resolve the rift between Governor Rotimi Akeredolu and his deputy, Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
In a post via his X handle on Saturday, the Special Assistant to the President on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, listed the major highlights of the meeting held at the State House in Abuja.
Below are the major highlights of the meeting.
1. The President advised all opposing parties to bury the hatchet and embrace peace, eliciting commitments to this effect.
2. President Tinubu stated Governor Akeredolu remains the State’s Chief Executive, Aiyedatiwa remains Deputy Governor, and members of the State Executive Council continue their respective duties.
3. The President also stated the leadership of the State’s House of Assembly and the APC Chapter in Ondo State is preserved.
4. President Tinubu also ordered the police to withdraw from the premises of the Ondo State House of Assembly in Akure.
Also present at the meeting were the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Oladiji Olamide; the state lawmakers, the state chairman of the party, Ade Adetimehin, and other state leaders of the party.
[NaijaNews]
Elon Musk-owned social media company X could lose as much as $75 million in advertising revenue by the end of the year as dozens of major brands pause their marketing campaigns, a report by the New York Times has said.
This financial setback follows the suspension of marketing campaigns by numerous major brands in response to Musk endorsing an antisemitic post on the platform, formerly known as Twitter.
For example, prominent companies such as Walt Disney and Warner Bros Discovery have opted to halt their advertisements on the platform in light of Musk’s controversial social media activity as highlighted by a media agency.
In response, X has initiated legal action against the media watchdog group Media Matters, alleging defamation stemming from a report that claimed ads for major brands, including Apple and Oracle, appeared alongside posts promoting Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party.
New York Times examined internal documents this week and discovered over 200 ad units of companies such as Airbnb, Amazon, Coca-Cola, and Microsoft are listed, with many either pausing or contemplating the suspension of their ads on the embattled social network.
X disclosed on Friday that $11 million in revenue is currently at risk, with the exact amount subject to fluctuations as certain advertisers return to the platform or adjust their spending, as per the report.
Since Musk acquired X in October 2022, the platform has witnessed an exodus of advertisers due to a perceived reduction in content moderation, resulting in a notable surge in hate speech, according to civil rights groups.
Backstory
Elon Musk initially purchased the Birdie app in October 2022 for $44 billion after months of negotiation, but today the company’s value is only $20 billion, which is less than half of the original price.
A significant factor contributing to the 50% decline in Twitter’s valuation can be attributed to a substantial retreat of advertisers.
Recent data suggests that over half of Twitter’s top 1,000 advertisers in September curtailed their expenditures on the platform within the initial weeks of January.
As reported by CNN, approximately 625 out of the top 1,000 Twitter advertisers, encompassing major brands such as Coca-Cola, Unilever, Jeep, Wells Fargo, and Merck, have redirected their advertising funds away from the platform as of January.
A lot has happened in the one year since Elon bought the microblogging platform. From cutting thousands of jobs, selling office furniture, laying off janitors, introducing the blue subscription, and so on.
[Nairametrics]
Some wives disrespectful, stingy with their body, may God deliver men from them – Mike Bamiloye
AdminThe founder of Mount Zion Faith Ministries, Mike Bamiloye, expressed concern about women who, despite appearing pleasant in church, display stubbornness, rudeness, and a lack of submission at home.
In a post he shared on his Facebook page on Saturday, the Christian film producer highlighted the discrepancy between their public and private behaviors, emphasizing that they can be unyielding, disrespectful, and withholding intimacy from their husbands.
He wrote, “Some married women in the Lord are fond of having their ways all the time. They never submit to their husbands. They never follow their husband.
“They are beautiful to behold in beauty, they smile all the time, they stand beside their husband in the church, but they are not who they claim to be.
“They are the direct opposite at home. Stubborn, rude, unbroken, disrespectful, and very stingy with their body to their husband.
“They dictate their terms to give their husbands access to their body. They are hard at home, but soft in the church. Very unsubmissive and insensitive. May God Almighty deliver men from such “Sisters.”
[Punch]
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Catholic Bishop of Sokoto, Hassan Kukah has lamented the growing romance of the judiciary with politicians, saying the development does not augur well for democracy.
Delivering the key not address at a forum Friday in Kaduna, Bishop Kukah who also cautioned clerics against being sucked in politics, said there was no way one could roll in the mud without getting stained.
He said: “I am saddened by the fact that the judiciary has now found itself being sucked into politics. I am also sad to the extent that even we who are priests in the church are getting sucked in politics because you will never come out the same.
“You go to wrestle with a pig in the mud, you may defeat the pig but you cannot come out and show yourself and be proud of what you look like.
“I am not saying that politicians are pigs but I am saying that politics has its own rhyme and if you have a kind of certain moral responsibility – many people have been saying to me in the last 30 years to come and contest election but allow me finish with Parish work first.
“If I was under that illusion. There are many people who say they would pay for me but I know that I will not make a good president because good presidents are not what you are looking for.
“We have potholes, we want people who can fix them. We want people who can give us electricity.”
He, however, said Nigerians should not make the judiciary a scapegoat, examining how several minority judgments have been prophetic in charting the way forward for Nigeria.
Chima Amazing
On his part, former Chairman of the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission NERC, Prof. Chima Amadi, noted that flawed elections lead to instability.
Lamenting that Nigeria was going the way of some less than alluring countries, Amadi said there is a deliberate elite conspiracy against free and fair elections in Nigeria.
“Flawed elections lead to instability. A country that plays with the type of elections we have had in Nigeria is moving towards the path of Niger Republic, Chad and Burkina Faso.
“Political scientists agree that the main value of elections might actually be conflict management and avoidance.
“The key thing about elections is that people have a right to chose their leaders and to pick them freely in a peaceful atmosphere and that the votes count.
“Nigerian political elite seem to all agree not to have free and fair election. There is deliberate elite conspiracy against free and fair election. The last elections, even with the existing law, would have been successful but INEC deliberately destroyed the election. They deliberately stopped electronic transmission and they did not give any reason.
“We have to now be bold to do three things. One is that this current INEC should terminate before 2027. There is no point carrying this commission into the next election because the current government has clearly planted special advisers, chief of staff to go and plan the next election.
“This INEC by law should end by 2025 so that we create a new INEC according to Uwais report which is a stakeholder INEC.
“He said the process of appointing the INEC Chairman and other officers must be transparent while elections must be somewhat self-declaratory through the use of electronic transmission of results in order for Nigerians to know the winner even before the conclusion of the process,” he stated.
Itodo
Executive Director, YIAGA Africa, Samson Itodo, who was one of the panelists, said it was unfortunate that to win elections in Nigeria, one has to have a militia, huge financial resources to bribe electoral officials and the judiciary.
He said: “We could have had the best elections even recently, except that we have got a political class who believe that you cannot win an election in Nigeria today without an election rigging plan.
“So, to win an election in Nigeria today, you must have a militia or thugs who would be ready to disrupt elections or intimidate your opponents, you must have the financial resources, sadly, to bribe election officials and then you also have money to bribe judges.
“You just need to sit down with some politicians go hear their stories, how the courts have become a market place for buying all forms of judgment and we think that this is right?
“There is no country that develops with these kind of institutions. Several years ago, the only institutions we could look up to – and that is why they say the judiciary is the bastion of hope for the common man – was the judiciary.
“But today, no one trusts the judiciary and so people are asking where will help come from?
“And I am not generalizing because there are still judges with impeccable character and integrity. We are not just celebrating them enough.”
Pastor Ighodalo
On his part, Pastor Ituah Ighodalo said Nigeria’s faulty foundation is responsible for most of its woes.
He added that the country was formed for a different purpose – to provide resources for Europe.
“So, we who have found ourselves in Nigeria, we have not successfully had this conversation as to what we really want in Nigeria.
“Do we even want Nigeria? What kind of of Nigeria do we want? How do we get that Nigeria?
“We have just assumed that the democracy that was given to us is the thing that is going to solve our problems,” he stated.
[Vanguard]
There are indications that mergers and acquisitions may happen soon in the financial sector in Nigeria after the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) hinted on the need for recapitalization of Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) in the country.
Ripples Nigeria reports that the governor of the apex bank, Dr Olayemi Cardoso had disclosed that Nigerian banks are not adequately capitalised to meet the need of a $1 trillion economy which the present government is targeting.
To that effect, banks in the country may be forced to merge to meet the recapitalization requirements to be announced by the apex bank as the planned recapitalisation means that DMBs will be required to raise additional capital to meet the demands of Nigeria’s economy.
Speaking on Friday at the 58th Annual Dinner of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria in Lagos, Cardoso said: “President Bola Tinubu’s administration hopes to achieve a $1trn economy in the next seven years which banks may not have the funds to meet the requirements of such an economy
“Attaining this substantial target necessitates sustainable and inclusive economic growth at a significantly higher pace at the current level.
“Considering the projected economic growth, it is crucial for us to evaluate the adequacy of our banking industry to serve the envisioned larger economy.
“It is not just about the stability of the financial system in the present moment… However, we need to ask ourselves, will Nigerian banks have sufficient capital relative to the financial system needed to service a $1trn economy in the near future?
“In my opinion, the answer is no unless we take action. Therefore, we must make difficult decisions regarding capital adequacy. As the first step, the Central Bank will be directing banks to increase their capital” he disclosed.
According to reports, Access Bank, Zenith and UBA lead the list of top banks in the country with asset sizes. As of 2023, Nigeria’s Access Bank had assets reaching approximately $33.4 billion. Other leading banking service providers in the country, namely Zenith Bank and United Bank for Africa (UBA), registered assets adding up to $27.4 billion and $ 24.3 billion respectively, these figures are well short of the $1tr economy targeted by the FG.
The last time Nigerian banks recapitalized was in 2005 when the then CBN governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi raised banks capitalization to N25 billion.
That exercise saw mergers and acquisitions among several banks in the country.
[Ripples Nigeria]
Terry Apala, the Nigerian singer, has revealed why he refused to join Don Jazzy’s Mavin Records and Spaceship, Burna Boy’s record label.
Apala, in a recent interview with Chude Jideonwo, the media personality, said his mother advised him to be the face of any label he signs to.
He said despite opportunities with Don Jazzy and Burna Boy, he chose Nelson Jack, a record label where he could be the main artiste.
“I was the problem, my mum said something to me, she said ‘your kind of music is different from what your colleagues are doing. If you are gonna be in any record label, you are to be the face,” he said.
“So I met Don Jazzy in 2015, like a week after we met he sent me the contract but I could not sign it because I already knew where I was coming from.
“That same 2015 I got a call from Burna Boy’s mum, like Burna Boy is there already. I cannot be the second face, I have to be the face.
“So that same 2015, I got signed to Nelson Jack because I was the face. I had issues with the record label from the call they said I am not allowed to drop songs I think for like a year or two.
“I was not allowed to do anything, no interviews no shows, like I was not allowed to do anything.”
Apala became in 2017 after he released a cover of Ed Sheeran’s hit single ‘Shape of You’.
The cover won him the Best Music Cover of the Year award at the City People Music Awards.
Apala is the originator of songs like ‘No Sege’, ‘Lock Up’, ‘Bad Girl’, and ‘Feel Me’.
[TheCable]
For veteran Nollywood actor, Anayo Modestus Onyekwere aka Kanayo O. Kanayo (KOK), though he has always played the odd part of ritualist in movies, he has never had anything to do with blood rituals in real life.
According to KOK, the Nigerian movie industry has been widely criticised for corrupting the minds of youths with its constant feature of blood rituals as a way of making quick wealth.
Speaking as a guest at a virtual town hall meeting powered by online news platform, Ikengaonline, the actor said determination and hard work are the only meaningful rituals for money and enduring wealth.
“It’s a lie that a man living in a thatch house will ask you to kill your girlfriend and sleep with her to make money. The Yahoo we knew many years back was writing letters and promising deals that are Utopian. These people (youths) have up their ante and it is not about the movies they watch.
“Recently, it was reported that somebody killed his girlfriend and slept with the corpse for seven days all in the name of making money. What a stupid thing to do! It’s stupid to believe that by killing somebody and eating the heart or drinking the blood you become wealthy. I can’t see any connection in that with making money. Money is made through hard work,” he emphasised.
KOK said although, he has always played the odd part of ritualist in home movies, he has “never encountered and will never have anything to do with blood rituals in real life,” adding, “The job of an actor is to act in movies, and who he is in real life is not defined by the roles he plays. Movie making is only a mirror of society.”
[Sun]